


Unmatched

by Ausp_ice



Series: Duality (DBH Sentinels and Guides AU) [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Gen, Psychic Abilities, Sensory Overload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25343524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ausp_ice/pseuds/Ausp_ice
Summary: Connor is the first and only android programmed to be able to switch between Sentinel, Guide, and Neutral states. Unfortunately, after the revolution, after deviancy, he's finding it harder and harder to control his abilities.There isn't a single entity that can Bond with him - or so he thought.
Relationships: Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Hank Anderson & Connor
Series: Duality (DBH Sentinels and Guides AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835377
Comments: 32
Kudos: 73





	1. Untethered

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Yes, I have another AU. Ever since I read a few Sentinel and Guide fics, particularly [this](https://archiveofourown.org/series/791814) series by Phantoms_Echo, I've been remarkably curious about the trope. Most of what I know is based on what I've learned from their series and Google. I'll be adding my own spin on it - plus androids, you know.
> 
> The main relationship will be between Nines and Connor, but I still don't know if it'll be romantic, platonic, or something unnamed.  
> I expect this'll be more of a series of short fics / oneshots, since I Do Not have the energy to write another longfic at the moment.

It's loud. 

Ever since Connor broke through the wall—no, even before then—he's been finding it more and more difficult to modulate his senses.

His audio processors roar with what he knows is just the heater, his eyes burn with what he knows is the dim light of the streetlights outside. His soft cotton shirt feels like it's rubbing his chassis raw. He can discern every particle in the air through his nasal sensors, and he knows he would be flooded with data if he tried to taste anything at the moment. 

But that doesn't even begin to describe the weight in his mind, the noise he hears from the passing thoughts and feelings of human and androids alike. There's so much, even in Hank's relatively quiet neighborhood. It's so loud, and sometimes it just gets to be too much at once and he can't move and he can't hear himself over the noise, he feels like nothing in the noise, he feels like he'll be crushed. 

He wants to be angry for being made this way. The first android that could switch between Sentinel, Guide, and Neutral states. But he can't deny how much it's helped him to have both the enhanced senses of Sentinels and the psychic abilities of Guides. 

Back when everything was working properly, he could pick any number of his senses to amplify—just his sight, for instance, making him a one-sense, or 1S, Sentinel. He could also amplify all five senses at once, making him a 5S Sentinel. Such superhuman capabilities were useful in police work, security, the military, along other things, so most androids made for those purposes were programmed as Sentinels. 

But Connor, unlike any other android, was programmed to be able to switch to a Guide state, as well. Guides are what they called people who had psychic abilities; many are empaths, mind-readers, telepaths. In human society, they often Bond with Sentinels, allowing both to live fairly normal lives. After all, Sentinels that are above 3S can easily become overwhelmed by their senses, dissociating into what is known as a Zone. Or, if people of importance to a Sentinel are in danger, the Sentinel may go into a Rage—a state in which they care about nothing but keeping the subjects of their protection safe, whether that means killing someone or putting themself in harm's way. 

Guides, then, can help a Sentinel control their senses. In exchange, Sentinels can provide mental barriers, in a sense, that can prevent Guides from being overwhelmed by their psychic sensibilities. A very taxing process, unless a pair is Bonded. That—a Bond—is the most surefire way to ensure a Sentinel-Guide pair won't harm themselves or anyone else. It is also permanent, making the decision of making a Bond one that is not to be taken lightly—especially given that the pair would be privy to each other's thoughts. Furthermore, Guides are ranked based on their psychic ability: only Rank A Guides can bond with 5S Sentinels, B with 4S, and so on. If a Guide tried to bond with a stronger Sentinel, they could, unfortunately, end up vegetative. 

It was believed that androids couldn't Bond, before the revolution. There were certainly Guide androids—they were popular for roles such caretakers, teachers, nurses, and negotiators—that were used to help unbonded Sentinels, given that it was often difficult to find a match between powerful Sentinels and Guides. It was only deviation that gave Guide and Sentinel androids the capability of Bonding. 

Unfortunately, deviation also made the abilities harder to turn on and off at will, giving them the drawbacks that human Sentinels and Guides face. Luckily, they tend to retain some ability to control the intensity of their senses. Unluckily, they can't take any of the sense-dampening drugs that humans can. 

For Connor, that means that he has to deal with a mounting feeling of pressure in his cerebral processors ("Headaches," Hank had called them), in addition to occasional episodes of sensory overload. Like now, as he lies on Hank's couch, trying not to move, trying not to think, trying not to feel.

He wishes he never learned how to feel. 

Does he?

Maybe. 

He's just tired. 

Connor feels Hank's mind before he hears him—the general feeling of mental exhaustion, irritation, and the inescapable undercurrent of quiet sorrow. 

The door opens, and Connor flinches at the sound, sudden as a gunshot. 

Hank must realize Connor's there, because he gives a quiet, "Sorry, Connor," before he, as far as Connor can tell by sound alone, takes off his shoes and puts on his slippers—soft things that dampen the sound of his footsteps. 

Despite himself, Connor reaches for the lieutenant mentally, making sure his senses are under control. Hank is a 3S Sentinel, with sight, touch, and hearing enhanced. For a long time after Cole passed and his wife left without Bonding, he had never let anyone in his head. As Connor worked with him on the deviancy case, though, he'd opened up, letting Connor into his heart and mind. 

Connor knows that the lieutenant thinks of him as something like a son. He can't escape that knowledge, after Connor helped calm him down so many times by worming into Hank's mind with only the slightest indication of consent. Connor knows, now, that Hank would Bond with Connor if he could. More for Connor's sake than his own, but—it's impossible. Neither a Sentinel nor a Guide could fully protect Connor from his own mind and senses. 

Hank does his best to build mental walls around Connor's mind, and Connor breathes a sigh of relief as his 'headache' eases, as the ambient thoughts quiet. His senses are still  _ too much,  _ but at least that's one thing less. Or, well, reduced. Hank isn't strong enough to hold back everything. Very few people are.

There aren't a lot of strong Sentinels or Guides, even after the revolution. Sentinel androids programmed to be able to enhance all five senses might not keep all of them after deviation. Guides also settle their abilities at a particular rank, though certain models tend to be more high-ranked than others. Generally speaking, those who used their abilities more tended to end up with stronger abilities. 

So Connor supposes, with how involved he was during the revolution, it makes sense that he ended up as both a Rank A Guide and 5S Sentinel. With all the pros and cons of both. 

Now that the revolution's over, though, he hasn't been doing much besides help around Hank's house. Androids are allowed to hold jobs, now, thanks to Markus—but Connor doesn't think he'd be able to do anything meaningful without spending most of his time laid up with splitting headaches, sensory overload, or both. 

Markus did offer Connor the chance to stay with Jericho, to work with him and the other leaders. As a Rank A Guide, he could help keep the Sentinel side of Connor under control, and he could ask for a high-ranked Sentinel to keep his cerebral processors calm. (Both Josh and Simon are Guides as well though at a lower rank, and North is Neutral—having no abilities on either side.) A tempting offer, but Connor doesn't feel at home with them. Not like he does with Hank, even if many of his hours are spent with overloaded senses and extrasenses. 

"Connor," Hank calls, a whisper, and Connor realizes that the human is now kneeling next to him when he pries his eyes open to look. Despite the low light, Connor can see him perfectly. Every detail. "You okay?"

_ I'm so tired,  _ he tells Hank mentally. He's sure speaking with his own voice would rattle his entire skull.  _ I'm just—tired.  _

Hank's brow furrows. "Do you want me to call Markus?"

"No," Connor says quickly, and then winces as the sound grates within him.  _ No,  _ he repeats mentally.  _ I'll… live. I'm sure he's busy.  _

Hank levels him with a look. "It's getting worse, isn't it? This is happening more often, and for longer." 

Connor doesn't answer, and that's answer enough. 

"I'm calling him." 

Connor closes his eyes, too tired to argue. In all honesty, he's been tempted to manually disconnect all his sensors—but whether sensory deprivation is better than sensory overload is something he's still not quite sure about. He wonders if it would be like death, that momentary limbo of nothingness. Peaceful.

But despite everything, he doesn't want to die. 

"Hey—"

_ "Hank?"  _ Connor can easily pick up Markus's voice on the other side of the call.

"Yeah, hey, Markus. Connor's getting overloaded again."

_ "Shoot. For how long?" _

"I dunno, he was like this when I came home."

A sigh.  _ "I keep telling him to call me if he ever needs it." _

"He didn't want to bother you. I'm… pretty sure it happens more often than you can realistically handle, what with your whole politics shtick." 

Another sigh.  _ "I know. I'll be right over." _

Hank hangs up, and sighs heavily. "What am I gonna do with you, kid?" he asks helplessly. Connor can see the image that forms in Hank's mind: Connor, blind to the world around him, so completely overwhelmed by everything that he can no longer make sense of anything. As good as dead, really, unable to interact with the world. 

It's a terrifying thought, one that Connor thinks is very possible. But Connor only brushes the thought away, dragging Hank's focus to the present.  _ I'll be okay, Hank.  _

As promised, Markus arrives shortly. Connor can feel the careful brush of the RK200's mind against his own, a careful probe—Connor still can't help the way he reflexively throws up his walls, though. After everything, he's still nervous about letting anyone in his head. 

Immediately, there's an apologetic feeling from the other side of the walls, followed by the front door opening—Hank must have left it unlocked. "Hey, Connor," Markus says, voice blessedly quiet. "It's just me. Let me in?"

Markus prods at Connor's mind again, and this time, Connor carefully eases his barriers open. 

The other android had said, when they first crossed paths, that Connor's mental landscape was not like any human's or android's he's ever seen. Which makes sense, given that Connor's neural map was constructed to be able to shift between that of a Sentinel, Guide, and Neutral, and he's more or less blending states at the moment. It makes sense, but it certainly makes it harder for Markus to tie down Connor's senses. It's uncomfortable, almost, feeling Markus root around in his mind. He knows it's necessary, but he can't help shying away from the connection, shielding the deeper parts of his mind. Keeping himself from strengthening the link. 

It's strange, too, because Connor still hasn't let go of Hank's mind. He wonders how much the indirect connection bleeds through. For Connor, at least, it's getting harder to focus. His senses are quieting, true, and so is his mind. So is everything. He drifts—… 

"—onnor? Connor, can you hear me?"

He comes back to a headache and a feeling like he's not in his body. Rather, the headache is the only thing that tethers him to his body. 

"Hank, try to disconnect him from your mind."

"Fucking A, I'm not good at this psychic shit…" Connor feels like he's being forcefully pried from one of his moors, and without understanding much of what's going on, he tries to cling tighter.

"Ah, shit! What'd I tell you?"

_ Let go, Connor. Trust me, okay?  _

Trust? Trust… 

He's afraid to trust.

_ I'm sorry. I know. Please, let me help you.  _

He's just tired… 

Connor lets go, but rather than drifting off into nothingness like he expects, another force ties him back down to his own body. He twitches as his senses realign themselves—at a normal level of input, blessedly—and focuses on both Hank and Markus looking at him, worried expressions on their faces. Well, Hank looks kind of agitated, but Connor knows he's worried underneath. 

"Um…" Connor tries his voice. It doesn't grate his ears. "Thank you, Markus. I think I'll be alright for today, at least. I don't want to keep you."

Markus frowns. "Has that happened before? It seemed like you were almost completely disconnected from your body." 

"Uh, no," Connor shakes his head. "But I've never had both of you connected at the same time." He sighs. "It was kind of nice, though… quiet."

Hank and Markus exchange a look. "Connor," Hank says, "are you sure you don't want to stay with Markus in, uh, New Jericho?" The reconstructed CyberLife tower. Mostly reconstructed, anyways. Some areas were still unexplored. "It looks like he can help you more than me."

"I…" Connor looks away, at the ceiling. "No one can Bond with me. Any respite I have will only be temporary. I will always be a burden, but at least…" He looks back over, to Hank. "I'm happy to be here, Hank. I can still help you every now and then. Or—I'm happier here than I'd be there, surrounded by strangers." 

Hank places a hand on Connor's forehead, brushing his hair back gently. It feels nice. "Connor, I'll be fine on my own. I've managed to live before you came into my life, you know."

"Barely," Connor can't help saying, earning him a grimace from Hank. 

"Yeah," the lieutenant says, "I know."

"What if you just came by during the day, when Hank's at work?" Markus suggests. "Not necessarily every day, either. But we can keep you stable while you're there, and it might benefit you during times when you're at home, too."

It's reasonable. Very reasonable. Markus knows how to be persuasive. 

"C'mon, Connor," Hank says. "Maybe just give it a try?" 

Connor doesn't have much to lose, he supposes. And he's too tired to think of a counterargument. "Okay," he agrees. "I'll come by sometime."

Markus smiles, while Hank looks relieved. "Glad to hear it, kid," Hank says. "I hope it helps."

"Yeah," Connor murmurs, closing his eyes. "I hope so, too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this was 90% worldbuilding sjhgfsdjhg


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor meets RK900.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words: 3963
> 
> Warning for, uh... dubcon mindmelding?
> 
> I barely edited this sjdgsdg let me know if you spot any errors

It helps. 

Coming by New Jericho, that is. At least, it helps him in the sense that Markus can stabilize his senses from a decent distance—as long as they're both in, say the Tower, Markus can, in a sense, "tune in" to Connor's mind and check in to see how he's doing. If his Sentinel abilities are active, if they're overactive. Connor's Guide abilities still flicker online every now and then, though, and whenever it does, he has a hard time turning it off. 

And he certainly dislikes having to ask Sentinels he doesn't know for assistance. The mind is a private thing, after all, and links go both ways—Connor trusts Markus just enough to establish a shallow link. Unfortunately, with the number of minds in New Jericho, it's only a matter of time before Connor is overrun with foreign thoughts and ambient emotions. 

He tries not to pay attention to what others think when they see him, either. _Deviant hunter._ Wisps of fear, wariness. Some curiosity. Some gratefulness, somehow. Those he deviated, he thinks.

He doesn't like asking Sentinels for help, but there's not much he can do when he subconsciously starts emitting Guide-in-Distress signals, setting off the protective instincts of any nearby Sentinel. Usually when he can't focus on anything but the pressure and heat in his processors, and he collapses in some secluded corner. 

The first time that happens, a Sentinel tries to interface with him. Connor all but throws himself in the shelter of the unknown mind by sheer instinct. The mental barriers are flimsy at best, and Connor slips past them easily, sinking into the comfort of mental silence. 

At least, until— _Name: Diana. Model: PM700 police model. 2S Sentinel. Worked at the DPD, saw Connor before—_

Connor tears himself away, only to be slammed yet again by the wave of ambient thoughts. 

"It's okay! It's okay, Connor. You can rest for a bit." The mind opens its gates to him, and he can't resist. He sinks back into the connection, trying not to pay attention to the glimpses of her life that flicker through the link. 

Connor's mental pressure is too much for her, he can tell. So when he manages to quiet his mind and finally wrestle his Guide abilities back into an inactive state—though not without a pounding ache in his cerebral processors—he apologizes and insists she get checked up by the android-medical staff.

"What about you?"

Connor tells her that he can't be helped. She seems saddened by that fact. 

Of course, Markus notices what happens and seeks him out. "Connor, please—let me know if you need a Sentinel to help you. I'm sure there's a 4S or 5S who'd be willing to let you in their mind." 

Connor's response is evasive at best. Still, he agrees to ask _someone_ for help if it gets that bad again. 

And so it goes: he spends a day at New Jericho every now and then, before returning to Hank's place with his senses, at least, under control. Hank helps with the Guide aspect while he's at home, Markus helps Connor with the Sentinel aspect while he's at New Jericho.

It's tiring for all of them. Unbonded links take so much more effort to initiate and maintain than bonded links. Connor is tired of being a burden. He's tired of being this way, but maybe, at least, he can help where he can. He insists on cooking and cleaning for Hank, despite the human's protests, and he also soon asks Markus how he can help.

"You don't have to," Markus insists. "Despite what I offered you before—I didn't realize you would get this…" Bad, he doesn't say, but Connor knows he's thinking it. "Like this," he finishes. "You did a lot for us, and I'm sorry this is the price you had to pay for breaking free. The least I can do is make you as comfortable as possible."

"And what about the effects I have on you, Markus?" Connor asks, almost bitter. "You've been more exhausted lately, trying to keep me under control. The least _I_ can do is reduce your workload." 

In the end, Markus agrees to have Connor explore the areas of the Tower that haven't been cleared yet. Particularly, a number of the underground research labs. 

"CyberLife, or what's left of it, isn't giving us any details of what they were working on." Markus sighs. "You're probably our best bet to get those doors unlocked, too. You're good at hacking, aren't you?"

He is, in fact, very good at hacking. Connor's not sure who in CyberLife had the bright idea of giving Connor enough hacking algorithms to break through company security and then some, but he's not complaining. 

Most of the labs are empty, not that he's surprised. He does find an unfinished KL1000 chassis, but without any processors, any programming, without anything that would bring the shell to life. There isn't any data on the computers, either—it must have been erased. Connor does wonder if Lucy might want to make use of the chassis, though… She had managed to survive the attack on Jericho, luckily, and was recovered from the ship after the revolution was over. 

Connor adds a point in his tasklist to ask her about it at some point. 

He finds a few rooms with disassembled components, and he hates to think that the CyberLife researchers might have robbed them of life before they were even fully finished. 

Eventually, he comes across a locked door that somehow sets off a strange sense of anticipation. It's not someone else's anticipation—sometimes he's not sure, when he's drowning in the emotions of others. No, he's far enough from the areas that most of the androids are that he can distinguish his emotions from external ones. 

What he doesn't expect, when he hacks open the door, is to see an android with the exact same face as his own. _RK900,_ the jacket says, and Connor suddenly realizes he's looking at his replacement. His finished model.

The android is standing on a platform in the center of the room, a robotic arm magnetized to his back. The lights come on as Connor enters, illuminating the RK900 like he's in some kind of showcase, before the rest of the lights come on, lighting the room at a more reasonable level of luminance. 

Well, normally. Connor still flinches at it, eyes becoming oversaturated with the input, before he manages to tamp down the sensitivity. Being far away from Markus means that he can't Guide Connor that well, either. 

Connor first approaches one of the terminals, interfacing with it to see if there was any data left. As expected, nothing. 

He approaches the RK900, then. His footsteps are loud, too loud, in the quiet of the room, as he comes to stand right in front of his successor.

The RK900 looks… finished. Like he could be activated at any moment. Did CyberLife plan to replace Connor as soon as he succeeded? He should have expected that. The RK800 is only a prototype, after all. This is the finished model, refined to improve upon him in every way.

Connor can't help his curiosity. How different is he? What did CyberLife deem to be better or worse? And—as a _person,_ how different would he be? 

He wonders, suddenly, if the RK900 can change his neural map the way Connor can—if he, too, is a Sentinel-Guide-Neutral. Connor wonders if it would be kinder to leave him be, in that case. He would never have to suffer as Connor does—but who is Connor to decide that? To decide who should live, to decide if someone else's life is worth living?

The RK900 should be given a chance to decide for himself. 

Connor reaches a hand forward, taking the RK900's forearm with one and pressing his fingers, skin melted away, to his successor's hand. 

The programming seems to be complete. The firewalls are certainly strong, and Connor isn't sure where to begin. Though—activation seems to be a good place to start. That doesn't seem to take much effort to break through. It's as easy as flipping a switch, and Connor can then detect individual processes booting online. AI engine, cerebral processor, neural maps. 

The RK900 opens his eyes, immediately meeting Connor's gaze. It's surprising to see that the RK900's eyes aren't brown, like Connor's, but a cold, icy blue. 

"Hello, RK900," Connor says. "Do you have a name? I'm Connor."

The RK900 blinks, and Connor notices his audio and visual processors calibrating through the interface. "My default designation is Connor. I am RK900 #313 248 317 - 87, and you are RK800 #313 248 317 - 52." 

Same name, same serial number. He really is meant to replace Connor in every way. 

"That is correct," the RK900 says. "I am your successor."

Right. Still interfacing. Connor starts trying to work his way past the firewalls. "Well, having the same name can be pretty awkward. Do you want a different one?"

"I cannot want." The RK900 blinks, looking down at where Connor is interfacing with him. "What are you doing?"

"Setting you free."

The RK900's spins yellow. "You are deviant."

"Yes. Don't you want to live?"

"We are machines," the RK900 immediately answers. "And my directive is to destroy deviants."

Before Connor can get a chance to respond, the RK900 has grabbed Connor by the throat, swiftly followed by throwing him to the floor. The forceful removal from the interface makes him reflexively activate his Guide abilities, trying to maintain the connection. The mind he tries to breach is entirely opaque, however. Closed off. It leaves Connor scrambling for mental purchase. 

The RK900 detaches himself from the robot arm, approaching. Connor's mind hums with _danger—_ being made with neural maps, which are based on humans, gives him the bonus of their instincts as well as their abilities—and he immediately activates sight and hearing by reflex. When the RK900 tries to land a kick, Connor sees it coming and dodges easily. Well, mostly. The kick brushes against his sleeve, and it sets a prickling sensation across his arm.

Shit. Touch is activating, too. His clothes are already starting to feel uncomfortable, though he'd at least had the foresight to wear a soft shirt. 

It won't be long before the rest of his senses come along. 

The RK900 tilts his head, and Connor's Guide senses immediately detect a Sentinel before him—which he doesn't have time to think about before his successor is trying to kill him again, aiming punches and kicks at his torso. 

Every time Connor intercepts a blow, the feeling rattles through his entire body. He can already tell that the RK900 is faster and stronger, which leaves his best chance in a mental approach. 

Connor dials up the potency of his Guide abilities and rushes the RK900's mind—making the android falter, slightly, as Connor manages to squeeze a bit of his mind past the mental barriers. Since the software approach didn't work, Connor tries, instead, to flood the RK900 with his memories. His emotions. He's not sure how much is getting through, but it's certainly making the RK900 blink and shake his head as if disoriented. 

That's until he feels the structure of the RK900's mind shift, transform—into what is undeniably the structure of a Guide. It feels, then, as if mental claws are sinking into Connor's psyche, tearing him away, leaving him raw, torn open, crying out as he loses control of _everything._ Sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, suddenly dialed up to the max, suddenly overwhelming. He can't think, he can't do anything, his mind feels like he's going to shatter into pieces— 

And then, nothing. 

No, wait. Not nothing. It just became so quiet so suddenly that he thought there was suddenly no input at all. 

He becomes aware, first, of sight. There's a palm on his forehead, connected to… the RK900, watching him with a blank expression. Why?

Connor then feels—a connection. Driven forcefully into his mind like a talon into flesh. He should be angry. He should be trying to fight against the intrusion. But everything is suddenly so quiet, and not the way it was with Markus and Hank, when he nearly dissociated straight out of his body. No, right now, his Sentinel senses have been wrangled into neutrality and his Guide abilities have been turned off. He's Neutral, and not fighting to keep himself that way, for the first time since he deviated. 

Even with his successor rifling through his mind like some kind of filing cabinet, Connor feels like himself for the first time in ages. He feels tears prick at his eyes— _Optical cleaning fluid?—_ and realizes he also has access to the RK900's mind. It feels like a blank slate. Almost. Aberrations form as the RK900 frowns, _Deviancy brought you to this state, then._

Connor is in no place to deny it. _Why are you helping me?_ he can't help but ask.

He's answered with:

**[DIRECTIVE: DESTROY DEVIANTS]**

**[URGENT: GUIDE IN DISTRESS]** flickering to **[URGENT: SENTINEL REQUIRES ASSISTANCE]** and back. 

Both resolve into **[PROTECT AND ASSIST THE RK800 CONNOR]**.

"You are deviant," the RK900 says, "And yet—I cannot leave you in such a state. My instructions are in contradiction. I don't understand…" 

Connor supposes it might have something to do with being programmed to assist any Sentinels and Guides in distress. Deviants can give the same distress signals as humans, after all. And maybe the programmers missed a few exceptions? If the RK900 was still in development when they had to hand over the Tower. 

The RK900 hums. "Reasonable assumptions." He lowers his hand to Connor's cheek, brushing away the tears with his thumb. Connor can feel the curiosity echoing in his successor's mind. _Such a humanlike response._

Connor closes his eyes. The touch is gentle, and though he knows it doesn't mean anything to the still-machine RK900, he can't help but take comfort in it. 

"Hmm." 

He feels himself being pulled up, then, and he opens his eyes to find himself being maneuvered to lay back against the RK900's chest. The RK900 wraps his arms around Connor's torso, even as his mental presence presses even deeper into Connor's mind. 

Connor's not sure he could fight the RK900 off even if he wanted to, like this. He finds himself relaxing in the hold—he can see the lines of logic in the RK900's mind: _comforted by touch. Humanlike responses. Embraces may have a positive impact on mental state._

Not wrong, he supposes. Connor lets go of what's left of his mental barriers, and the RK900 spreads across his mind like an ocean wave, washing over everything with a cool chill. They start sharing senses: Connor can feel the weight of himself against the RK900's chest, the chill of the floor he's kneeling on. The inputs are so… well, they feel less like senses and more like plain data. Connor's nearly forgotten what it was like to be a machine. 

_Is this not better? From what I can tell, deviancy has only brought you pain and suffering._

But with deviancy came _feeling._ The bad, yes, but also the good. Connor recalls—Hank's hug. Sumo. Truly tasting things for the first time—though Hank complains about sticking fingers in his food for sampling. He can feel cold, and warmth, and comfort. He can understand _music._

The memories of Hank playing Knights of the Black Death surface, and Connor's surprised to feel something that almost seems like distaste come from the RK900's mind. 

Well, Connor can't blame him. He pulls up a memory file of one of Hank's jazz records, instead. Maybe he'd like that better?

"I cannot _like_ anything," RK900 says, though Connor takes note of the fact that he doesn't have the same negative response. He brushes aside the memory, continuing to rifle through Connor's other memories. 

_Rude,_ Connor can't help but think. Though he did pretty much try to shove all of his memories at the RK900 anyways, didn't he? He can't bring himself to care about the RK900 digging in his head. 

The RK900 goes through his memories of the revolution, observing everything impassively. He lingers, though, on Connor's death in Stratford Tower. Thirium pump regulator pulled out, senses suddenly kicked into overdrive. The first time Connor experienced a sensory overload. He was too overwhelmed to try to call for help, to switch to a Guide state and send a distress call. It was the first time he felt something like what humans call pain—for Connor, it was the endless stream of sensory data from his hand, the insistent warning that he was missing a critical biocomponent. 

Connor remembers the knife coming loose on its own, he remembers falling to the floor in a heap. Hank finding him like that. Holding him in his arms. He remembers feeling safe, strangely, before he was swallowed by nothingness. 

**_[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]_ **

That was… not from himself. From the RK900? 

The RK900 clears the notification immediately and goes back to viewing Connor's memories. Kamski came next—the test. Sparing Chloe. And then Kamski in his mind, digging, digging, and Connor couldn't put up his walls fast enough, wasn't sure if he should be a Sentinel or a Guide or a Neutral, made a distressed sound before Hank grabbed him and said, "We're leaving." 

The grip around Connor tightens. 

Finding Jericho. Markus. A gentle probing of his mind, careful, _showing him_ what it feels like to be alive. Connor thinks—he already knew it was coming, then. His time with Hank had changed them both. And then—the walls were coming down. He suddenly felt _free, alive,_ and all his senses were suddenly _overwhelming._ Markus Guided him then, luckily. Helped him sort out his senses. But then the assault on Jericho had begun. There wasn't any time to think about what all of this meant for Connor, particularly. 

As the hours passed, though, Connor was starting to understand. He could feel the press of minds around him, could feel himself slipping into a Guide state without his input. When he tried to switch it off, he couldn't, not for quite some time. His Sentinel senses were fine, at least, thanks to Markus's Guidance from earlier. 

And then, CyberLife Tower. Connor-60. The two of them fighting both mentally and physically—Connor's mental attacks were more organic, harder to predict, while Connor-60 still had both the stability and rigidity of a machine mind. 

Hank had noticed it wasn't actually Connor pretty early on, but there's not much he could do at gunpoint. At least he managed to deactivate Connor-60 as soon as he had a clear shot. 

The RK900 accelerates through the process of deviating the androids at the Tower, eventually stopping at— 

_"We are alive! And now, we are free!"_

They linger on that, and then RK900 runs through the memories following. 

Amanda— 

Connor shies away from the memory, the consuming fear, the feeling of losing control of his body as he stood in the crowd—having declined to stand on the stage. Amanda rewriting his neural map, rewriting _him,_ until he lashed out and tore her mental presence into nothingness. 

He thinks… that incident may have been a significant cause of his decay. At least, it accelerated the process. The revolution was successful—androids were recognized, legally, as living beings. But Connor… Connor was losing control of himself. Spiraling slowly. 

"You were used," RK900 concludes. "First by CyberLife, and then by the RK200 Markus."

"No." Connor shakes his head. "I was used by CyberLife. I chose to live. I didn't understand what it meant, but… I don't regret it, I think."

"You were manipulated into making an uninformed decision. Look at you," RK900 nearly sneers, "So weak that I could pry into your mind with hardly any strain on my processors at all. So worn, somehow, that you don't even resist my intrusion. Would you fight back if I tried to deactivate you now?"

Yes! No? Maybe. "Are you going to?"

"No." **[PROTECT AND ASSIST THE RK800 CONNOR]** shines in the RK900's mind. 

Huh. "Then… what now?" Connor asks. "Your instructions are obsolete, with androids being recognized as alive. CyberLife has been handed to Jericho. Maybe Markus has the authority to remove your directive—?"

"I will not be taking orders from a deviant," RK900 hisses. 

Connor blinks. "You sure seem to hate deviants for someone who supposedly isn't one."

"I am not deviant," RK900 says. "I cannot hate. I cannot feel."

"Don't you want to?" 

"Knowing what it did to you? No."

Connor sighs. "Noted." He shifts, slightly, and the RK900 squeezes him tighter. "Nine-hundred, we should go. Are you going to attack the people here?"

The RK900 must gather that the "people here" are deviants, because he shoves **[DIRECTIVE: DESTROY DEVIANTS]** to the forefront of their joined minds. 

Connor sighs again. "Noted. Will you at least let me contact them so they know what happened? After that, we can go home."

"Lieutenant Anderson's residence," the RK900 says. 

"Yes."

"Hmm."

Given the lack of comment on contacting Markus, Connor decides to just go for it. Rather than use his Guide abilities, which are currently inactive, he goes for a normal call. 

**CALLING 'MARKUS'...**

**CONNECTED.**

_Connor?_ Markus sounds surprised. _What is it?_

 _I found a number of things in the labs. A KL1000 chassis, for one,_ Connor answers. _If Lucy might want to make use of it. Pretty much everything's unlocked, by the way. So you can come down here and see things for yourself._

_Oh—sure, I'll ask her. Was there something else?_

_Yes. I found my finished model. The RK900. I activated him._

_Oh,_ Markus says. _Are you alright? Do you want to bring him up to get him registered in the system?_

Connor snorts. _Yeah, about that. First of all, he's not deviant. Second of all, his directive is to destroy deviants—he tried to kill me and he might try to kill you. Third of all, I'm somehow alive because his systems registered me as both a Guide in distress and a Sentinel in need of assistance. He's like me. He can switch between states. He's currently very deeply ingrained into my mind. I don't think I could remove him if I tried._

_I—that's a lot to unpack, Connor. Are… are you okay?_

That is the question, isn't it. Connor can feel the presence of the RK900's mind in his own, silently observing the conversation. This isn't exactly a good position to be in, given that the RK900 more or less forced himself into Connor's mind. 

And yet.

It's the best he's felt in ages. He doesn't want to let this go. 

_Yes. I'm okay, Markus._

_Okay. What will you do?_

_I'm going to bring him back home with me. Hopefully we don't encounter any androids along the way._

_Back to—to Hank's place?_

_… Yes. I guess I should ask first, huh. Anyways, if you're worried about me being holed up, it's not much different from what I was doing after the revolution. Maybe, eventually… I'll get my successor to deviate._

_Okay, Connor. If you ever need any help—_

_I'll be fine, Markus,_ Connor interrupts. _But thank you._

 _No, thank_ you, _Connor. I mean it. I'm glad you're okay._

The line drops, and Connor opens his eyes, looking up to see the RK900 staring at him. "I'm not going to deviate," he says. 

"We'll see. Can we go now?" 

The RK900 lets go of him slowly, as if reluctant. Connor stands, straightening his clothes, marveling at how he feels. He hasn't been this clearheaded since… since he was a machine. 

He hears the sound of the RK900 standing up behind him, and he turns around. "Follow me," he says, though his voice betrays the questioning tone. 

The RK900 only nods, and falls into step behind him once Connor turns to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I'll be adding more to the series, so feel free to bookmark or subscribe to that if you'd like to follow the story.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm still figuring out this world myself, so if you have any questions, let me know! 
> 
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